Effect of Bilateral Nephrectomy Upon the Acid-Base Equilibrium of Dogs. ∗

For several years the senior writer and his students have been studying the effect of bilateral adrenal extirpation in cats and dogs and reached the conclusion that one of the train of causes resulting in death from adrenal ablation is acid intoxication.^1,2,3,4 As a result of our experiments the hypothesis was advanced that the adrenal cortex secretes a hormone which in some manner assists in maintaining the normal functioning of the kidney. We were interested in the fact that the type of acidosis which appears during adrenal insufficiency is similar to that occurring in uremia. As a further means of testing the idea whether or not the kidney is involved in adrenal insufficiency the present writers undertook to make a careful comparison of the symptoms and blood findings occurring in adrenal insufficiency with those which follow kidney extirpation.

Large, well nourished dogs were employed for the kidney work—the average weight being 18-20 kilos. The right kidney was extirpated and after a 7 to 10 day interval the left kidney was removed. Animals so operated generally remain normal for several days before untoward symptoms develop. The unilaterally nephrectomized dogs were bled for CO₂ capacity, CO₂ content, pH, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorides, sugar and urea. Later when symptoms of renal insufficiency appeared the animals were bled at various times.

The first symptoms noted were anorexia and lassitude, the animals appearing normal otherwise. Later they vomited considerably, refused all food and had to be fed daily 200-40 cc. of milk by stomach tube. Weakness of the hind limbs appeared, drowsiness and coma. Our animals survived the double operation for varying periods (3-6 days). It is probable that the survival period would have been greater if the animals had not been bled repeatedly.